A Lot of Something Over Nothing
by myyellowsubmarine
Summary: All Human. The only thing Bella and Edward are interested in is outwitting each other. Emmett and Rosalie fall in love, but what happens when lies and deception drive them apart? Can Jasper and Alice make Edward and Bella fall in love? CHAPTER 14 NOW UP!
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! So this is my first story. I based it off of a Shakespeare comedy called Much Ado About Nothing. It's a great play and I would recommend reading it if you get a chance. Okay, so everyone is human in this story. I really hope you like it. I will try to update as much as I can.

So _pleeeeeeaaasssseee _review! I would really like to hear what yall think about the story!

IMPORTANT: I don't have a beta and I'm working with Microsoft Works, not Microsoft Office, which sucks because the spell check isn't that great. If you are interested in being my beta reader, send me an email! I would really appreciate it!

Disclaimer: Meyer owns it all… I own nothing….

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_Beeeeep!! Beeeeep!! Beeeeep!!_

I groaned and rolled over, placing my pillow over my head.

_Beeeeep!! Beeeeep!! Beeeeep!!_

I threw the pillow off my head and rolled back over to look at my alarm clock. It read 6:30. I pushed the button to shut it off.

_Damn morning classes! _I thought to myself, as I sat up, stretching, and looked around. My two roommates, Alice and Rose had not yet woken up. I stood up and walked to the bathroom to take a shower. Once I had finished my shower, fixed my hair, gotten dressed, and put on a bit of makeup, I walked back into the room to find Alice sitting on the edge of her bed, her short black hair pointing every direction.

"Hey, Alice!" I said as I began packing books into my backpack. "Nice to see you up so early."

She gave me a disgruntled look before saying, "Don't forget that the guys will be in town tonight. We promised to show them around campus."

I had almost forgot. Our old high school friends, Emmett, Jasper, Edward, Mike, and Eric, were transferring to Dartmouth this year and we had promised to show them around campus.

"Don't worry, my last class is over at noon today." I said.

"Good! Then you won't mind going shopping with me before they get here at four!" She said, smiling. "Meet me at the mall right after your class. I'll make Rosalie go with us, too!"

I groaned as soon as I heard the word "shopping". Alice was obsessed with shopping and loved nothing more than to drag Rose and me along to dress us up as she pleased.

"Fine, but I'm only getting one outfit. Did you hear that, Alice? _One_!" I said, as I slung my backpack over my shoulders. "I'll see you about 12:30."

The air was crisp and cool as I stepped out the front door of our apartment. It was late August and my summer school classes were coming to an end. I had decided to take Government and Biology during the summer to try to get enough hours to graduate in three years instead of four.

Once I had finished my Biology class, I got in my old truck and drove to the mall to meet Alice and Rosalie. They were standing at the front entrance as I parked.

Alice came bouncing up to meet me, Rose following close behind.

"Alice, before you drag me to any stores, I'm getting something to eat first. I have to have my energy to keep up with you," I said, walking towards the food court.

After we had eaten sandwiches and chips from the bakery, we followed Alice around as she bounced from store to store, piling clothes into Rose's and my empty arms before shoving us into dressing rooms. After about two hours, we walked out of the mall. Alice had forced me into buying a navy blue v - neck sweater with elbow-length sleeves and a pair of form fitting jeans. She had convinced me to buy a pair of black ballet slippers that were actually pretty cute. We drove back to our apartment and began changing before the boys arrived. There was a knock at the door and when Rose opened the door, Lauren, Jessica, and Angela walked in and sat down on the couch.

Lauren, Jessica and Angela had been in high school with us and the six of us still hung out together in college. I had to admit, I never really had liked Lauren and wasn't too fond of Jessica, either, but Angela and I had always been good friends.

Angela walked over and stood with me in front of the mirror as I brushed my hair out.

"Bella, I love that sweater! I'm guessing Alice took you shopping?" she said, grinning.

"You know me all to well, Ang," Alice said, smiling at Angela as she walked over to her dresser to find a pair of earrings.

Once Alice, Rosalie and I had finished primping, we joined the others in the living room and sat down. Alice turned the TV on and flipped through the movie channels. She stopped when she found Troy and we all settled in to watch it until the boys arrived.

"I love those outfits," Rose sighed, as we watched Paris and Hector converse on the boat. "It's a shame people don't wear them anymore."

"Are you picturing Emmett in those clothes? We all know you'll be drooling buckets over him when they get here!" Alice teased.

Rose blushed and looked away. Emmett and Rosalie had never dated before, but we all knew how she felt about him and were pretty sure that Emmett was just as enamored on her.

Alice and Jasper had dated all throughout high school and we were all sure that they would eventually get married. The way they looked at each other! No one had any doubt how much they loved each other.

Mike and Eric had both been members of our "group" but always seemed to be up to no good. Both of them asked me out on dates, but I had refused. They just weren't my type. Well, according to Rose and Alice, I didn't have a type and was doomed to live alone forever.

Edward was Alice's cousin. We had an interesting relationship, to say the least. Everyone considered us friends, but we never acted like it. Throughout high school, we had been engaged in what our friends called "The Battle of Wits". Each of us made fun of the other constantly when we were together. We were both top of the class and had fought viciously to be Valedictorian. In the end, I had the higher GPA by .02 and was ranked first in the class. I knew he was still bitter about it and planned to rub it in his face as much as I could while he was here.

We heard laughing from behind the door and Alice jumped up. She was running to the door before they had a chance to knock. I heard Alice squeal and took a deep breath. It was time to once again engage in "The Battle of Wits".

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Soooo, what do you think? This story will continue as long as the readers want it.

Please let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Ok guys, here is chapter two! Its not too long, but the next chapter will be longer. The real plot starts in the next chapter!

Please review!!

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Alice threw open the door to reveal five boys, all grinning at the sight before them.

"Jasper!" Alice squealed, throwing her arms around the tall blonde who embraced her back. He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the lips before releasing her.

Emmett squeezed through the door and strode over to Rosalie. He wrapped his muscular arms around her and whispered something in her ear, causing her to blush. He pulled away and moved aside to allow Mike and Eric to greet her.

Jasper walked up to me and hugged me, saying "It's good to see you, Bella. It's been way too long."

"I know. I really missed you guys!" I said, pulling away.

Mike and Eric both came up to hug me before I noticed him. He had just been attacked by his pixie-like cousin and was grinning as she asked about the trip.

"It wasn't too bad. Emmett decided that we had to listen to his music the entire way here. I think I might have lost all the hearing in my right ear. I told him to turn it off, but since when has Emmett ever listened to me?" he said, chuckling.

"Well, no one ever really listens to you, Edward. There is little point in listening to your rambling." I said, crossing my arms.

"Oh, Bella! I can't believe you're still alive! I would have thought that the all of your distain would have stopped your heart by now," he said, taking a step towards me. By then, everyone had stopped talking and was now staring at us.

"How could I die when I have your stupidity to feed on? Your lack of common sense does baffle me."

"You know, Bella, it seems you are the one girl who is immune to my charm. Could it be because it is impossible for you to love? Or is it because you just have no interest in men?"

"Well, those girls may be dazzled by you, but we both know that you have no liking for them, which is a blessing for every woman in the world. And, truthfully, I would rather listen to Emmett sing all day than to hear any man say he loves me."

Edward opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by Alice.

"Oh, be quiet you two! We have more important things to do than to listen to you bicker. Come on, guys, we'll show where your apartment is." She grabbed Jasper's hand and led him out into the hallway.

I gave Edward one more dirty look before following Alice. We all made our way down one flight of stairs to the second floor. Alice led us to the door at the end of the hallway.

"Here we are! Your new home sweet home!" she said, tossing Emmett the key.

He unlocked the door and everyone walked inside. It looked exactly the same as ours, with one large bed room containing three beds, a living room, kitchen, and dining room. We all wandered around and the boys immediately began talking about their decorating plans. They wanted to paint the bedroom and living room and then move in the furniture.

"Why don't we go down and get a suitcases up here before we go eat? We can at least put our sleeping bags in the room so we have somewhere to sleep tonight," Jasper said.

Jessica and Lauren offered to show Eric and Mike to their apartment and Angela said her goodbyes before leaving for work. The three boys went downstairs to grab their bags, leaving me, Alice, and Rosalie alone in the apartment, sitting on the living room floor.

Rosalie sighed and threw herself back onto the floor, looking up at the ceiling with dazed eyes. Alice and I began snickering.

"So Rose, is he as good as you imagined?" I asked.

"Oh, my memory didn't do him justice! Did you see his arms? He's so strong! And his eyes…. I could get lost in those sexy brown eyes…" she continued rambling as Alice and I exchanged smirks.

"Why are you smiling, Alice? I saw how you were looking at Jasper! I _also _saw the kiss!" Rosalie said as she sat up. "We all know you're still in love with him."

"Yes, I am and he knows it! Can you say the same? You never told Emmett how you felt so don't compare me to you!" she said, sticking her tongue out at Rosalie.

I tuned out their argument after awhile and thought back to my last skirmish with Edward. I felt that it had been a win for the home team, but if I mentioned it, he would say that it didn't count because it was interrupted. I began thinking of my comeback when Rose pulled me back.

"Hello, Bella? Are you listening?"

"Sorry, I lost focus for a second. What did you say?"

"I asked you if you realized how much you missed Edward."

"Of course I didn't miss him! Why should I miss someone as… _annoying _as him?!" I scoffed.

"When will you two ever learn to get along?" Alice said, looking at me.

"When he admits defeat. Until then, let the "Battle of Wits" continue!" I said, causing Alice and Rose to laugh.

The boys walked through the door carrying suitcases and sleeping bags.

"Well, I think that's enough work for one day!" Emmett said, dropping everything right in the middle of the dining room. "I'm starved, let's go eat!"

After Jasper and Edward had set their luggage down, we walked out of the building to our vehicles.

Jasper's phone buzzed and he looked at the caller ID before putting it up to his ear.

"Yes, Mike? Oh, sure that's fine. Don't worry, we'll meet you tomorrow before we tour the campus. Have fun."

He closed his phone and turned to us. "Mike and Eric are going to eat with Jessica and Lauren. They said to call them before we tour campus tomorrow."

Before climbing into our vehicles, we decided to meet at Johnny Carino's to eat (Emmett was craving Italian). As I got into Rose's BMW, I saw Edward give me a smug look before climbing into the driver's seat of his Volvo. I sighed. Dinner was going to be an interesting event.

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I know this chapter was short, but its getting late, and I have to go to Area OAP rehearsal tomorrow… bleh…..

So PLEASE review!! I want to know what you think!!


	3. Chapter 3

Ok, before you say anything, I know this chapter is really short and I promised a longer chapter. I decided to make the chapters close to the acts of the play. So this chapter is where the real plot begins.

I hope you enjoy it!!

Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease review!!

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Mike's POV

I snapped my phone shut after calling Jasper to cancel on dinner. I walked into the living room of our new apartment and stretched out on the floor, looking at the ceiling.

"Mike, man, what's eating you? We just transferred to the college of our dreams, we have an awesome new apartment… What do you have to be upset about?" Eric asked, walking over to me.

"I don't know. I guess I'm just bored. We're in a new place, but with the same people. Damn, they get on my nerves; they have ever since high school! You know, for once, I wish they could experience just a little bit of turmoil… That would show them they aren't as perfect as they think!" I closed my eyes, imagining it.

"Well, you never know. The opportunity might present itself. Did you notice Emmett when he saw Rosalie? She has that guy wrapped around her finger and she doesn't even realize it! You know, it might be just the opportunity you're looking for."

"Hmm… I suppose you might be right. Are you willing to help me, should I choose to make my move?"

"Since when have I ever failed you? Come on, Mike, have some faith in me!"

I shut my eyes, smirking.

Jessica and Lauren walked into the apartment about half an hour later, carrying Chinese take-out.

"So I'm guessing you boys are pretty glad to be away from those idiots," Jessica said.

I looked at her and let out an exasperated sigh. "Of course we are. We all know that you two feel the same way about Alice, Rosalie, and Bella. We can actually get away from them now."

"Yeah," Eric added. "Living with them was hell. You couldn't go a day without having some prank pulled on you. I woke up one morning to find all of my underwear pinned up outside our apartment. I'm telling you, I don't know if I could have stood another week with them."

Jessica and Lauren snickered at Eric's story. I put down my plate, stood up and began pacing.

"So Eric and I were talking… We think its about time they all experience a little drama in their perfect little lives."

"What did you have in mind?" Lauren asked. "I don't know about Jessica, but I would do anything just to piss those girls off."

"I'm definitely in," Jessica said. "Just tell us what to do."

"Well, you all saw the way Emmett acted around Rosalie. He's in love with her," I said.

"Rosalie's got it just as bad. She's been talking about him ever since she knew he was transferring," Lauren said.

"I think they are the perfect targets. All we have to do is a little bit of planning and their lives will be turned upside down!"

Everyone grinned and we put our heads together to discuss our plans.

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Hope you liked it! The dinner will be in the next chapter. I am thinking about doing it in Edwards POV but I'm not sure…

What do you think?

Still looking for a beta!!


	4. Chapter 4

Okay so here is the next chapter. I'm sorry it took me so long. I had to go to Galveston for state FCCLA and couldn't bring my laptop with me. I will be updating more often now I think…

This chapter is the dinner from Edward's POV.

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I climbed into my Volvo after smirking at Bella. I knew she thought she was winning, but I had a few plans for dinner. She wouldn't have the upper hand for long.

"So, Edward," Jasper said from the passengers seat, "it seems that you and Bella are getting along just as well as always."

"Hardly." I scoffed, never taking my eyes off the road. "She's impossible to live around. You, on the other hand seem to be picking up where you left off with Alice."

He sighed and a goofy grin spread across his face. "I don't know how I got by this year without her. I never really stopped loving her and now that I realize that, I plan on never leaving her again."

"Aw, how sweet! Jazz is in love!" Emmett teased as he laughed from the backseat.

"Oh, and you aren't still infatuated with Rosalie?" I said, eyeing him in the rearview mirror. "We all saw how you were staring at her. And what was it that you were whispering in her ear earlier?"

"I was just letting her know how much I missed her, that's all!"

I sighed. "So now I have to deal with both of you being in love. I don't know if I can handle it; I may have to get a private room!"

"Edward, what do you have against women, against love? You're being stubborn," Jasper said.

"Look, I just don't trust women, okay? They just end up hurting you somehow. For that matter, I don't trust anybody!"

"You're mother's a woman. Do you not trust her?" Emmett teased, trying to anger me.

I was becoming frustrated. How could I get them to understand?

"Alright. I exclude my mother because, well she's my mom. But I still don't trust women and I _don't_ have to explain myself to the likes of you."

We arrived at the restaurant and walked in with the girls. We sat at a table with the girls facing us. After the waiter served us drinks and took our orders, we began talking about our plans for the next year.

"I'm going to continue majoring in history," Jasper was saying. "I'll probably complete my Masters and teach at a college. What are you doing, Alice?"

"I'm going to continue majoring in art. I took a painting class last semester that I really enjoyed, but I think I want to try sculpting this semester."

"I'm still in my general studies," Rosalie said. "I'm still not sure what I want to do, but I'm thinking about majoring in psychology next year. Are you still majoring in business, Emmett?"

"Yeah, but I don't really know what I want to do when I finish with school."

"So what are you majoring in, Edward?" Bella asked in a sweet and innocent voice.

"I'm getting my engineering degree," I answered. "I will probably get my Masters and Doctrine eventually. What about you?" I was trying to be as nice as I could until she gave me a reason to retaliate.

"Oh, I'm still majoring in literature. I think I want to do the same thing as Jasper. Teaching at a college seems pretty rewarding, don't you think?"

"Yes, I suppose it would be rewarding." Damn, she wasn't going to make the first move! "So, Bella, are there any classes you suggest taking?"

"Yes, actually. Introduction to literature is a very good class to take when your literary skills are… lacking. You would probably be taking the class with freshmen and even a few high school seniors, but, with your literature level, you would fit right in," she finished with a smirk.

I felt my anger rising. It was true, she had always done better than me in all of our English classes…. Much better actually. It was actually her English grade that had given her the higher GPA at the end of our senior year. Although her comment stung, she had given me the chance to fight back.

"Oh, I don't have to worry about that class. I took it my first semester and finished with an A. But, you know, Bella, I heard Dartmouth has a great math department. I saw in the catalog that they have an Introduction to Calculus. Maybe, having taken calculus in high school, you can at least understand a few of the vocabulary words. If you needed help I would be more than happy to tutor you."

I knew I had struck a chord. Bella absolutely abhorred math and I had always beaten her in our math classes by a large margin. She had somehow managed an A for the first semester of our senior year, but the rest of the time, she was lucky to scrape by with a high B.

"Well, my math skills were enough to beat you, weren't they? I seem to remember giving a Valedictorian speech at graduation," she said.

"Well, seeing how much higher I scored on all of the math tests was more than enough compensation for not being Valedictorian. It really didn't bother me that much." Okay, so the last part was a complete lie, but she didn't have to know that.

"Oh, don't lie, Edward," Alice said, interrupting our argument. "The day you found out, you came home and ripped out all the pages in your literature book. I remember you had to pay for it at the end of the year."

Damn! I had been busted. I risked a glance at Bella and saw a satisfied smirk on her face.

"Are you serious?" Emmett asked. "Edward, you said it was stolen! Ha, you need to learn to control your anger, man." I scowled at him.

"Bella, that sounds strangely familiar," Rose said with a sly grin. "I think I remember going to your house and catching you shredding your calculus tests and throwing them out the window."

Bella blushed and lowered her head. I sat up a little straighter, feeling slightly more smug.

Jasper sighed. "When will you two give it up? Just listening to you fight is exhausting!"

I crossed my arms and looked away. I glanced at Bella to see her doing the same thing.

"It's a lost cause, Jazz. I don't think they can stop. They thrive off of shaming each other!" Alice said.

Our food arrived then and our conversation ended. I stared at my pasta, trying to determine if I had won the last fight. The others talked about college and began making plans for the next day.

"Oh, I just remembered!" Alice suddenly exclaimed. "The university has a dance at the end of the last summer session and this year, it's a masquerade! I think we all should go. It's next Saturday at 8:00."

Everyone agreed and Alice began planning everyone's outfit.

I wasn't really looking forward to the dance, but I would go to appease everyone. Maybe I could cut out early…

When everyone had finished their food and the bill had been paid, we walked back out into the night air.

"Well, I guess we'll see you boys tomorrow morning," Alice said, walking over to Jasper. "Let's meet about ten and we'll give you the grand tour."

I watched Emmett give Rosalie a hug before he climbed into the car. Jasper leaned down and kissed Alice gently on the lips. He sat in the passengers seat and closed the door. We all waved as I drove away, back to our new apartment.

When we got back, I immediately changed and climbed into my sleeping bag. I was trying to avoid listening to Emmett and Jasper prattle on about Rosalie and Alice. As I began drifting to sleep, Bella's face flashed behind my eyes before all faded to darkness.

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Whew, I didn't know writing in Edward's POV would be so hard! Well, I hope you enjoyed it!

Reviews PLEASE!!

: )


	5. Chapter 5

**I meant to have this chapter done a lot sooner, but I got too busy… sorry about that… so here is chapter five from Bella's POV!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight… if that isn't already obvious…**

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The next morning, we all met at our apartment before touring the campus. At first, Alice, Rosalie, and I were leading the tour, walking slightly ahead of everyone else as we pointed out the different buildings. Eventually, Rosalie fell behind to walk with Emmett and Jasper took her place next to Alice. I sighed. All of this romance was going to get old really fast.

Looking behind me, I notice Jessica, Lauren, Mike and Eric walking slightly farther behind the rest of us. They seemed to be whispering about something. They seemed to be up to something, but I shoved it out of my mind as we arrived back at our apartment.

"Oh, you know what we should do?" Alice said, hopping from one foot to the other. I had a good idea as to what she wanted to do, but I humored her.

"What?" I asked.

"We should go shopping for our outfits for the dance!" she squealed.

"Um, excuse us if we don't join you for that. I've been shopping with you once, Alice, and its not an experience I'm anxious to repeat," Edward said, taking a step towards the door. The others followed and, after saying hurried goodbyes, walked out of the door.

"Do you two want to come with us?" Rose asked Jessica and Lauren.

"No, we already have our outfits," Lauren said. "I think we'll just go back to our apartment and watch a movie or something."

"Alright then, I guess we'll see you later."

We drove to the mall in Rose's BMW. She was busy talking about Emmett, again.

"He seems so much more mature," she was saying. "He's not as blunt as he used to be and he's becoming such a gentleman!"

"Jasper is just as sweet as he always is," Alice sighed. "He knows exactly what to say to make me smile."

I groaned. "Can you two stop talking about boys for at least two hours? I can deal with shopping or boy talk but not both at the same time!"

They laughed. "Alright, Bella, two hours. That's just long enough to pick out our dresses for the dance," Alice said.

We walked into the mall and headed right to the dress shop. Alice immediately began piling dresses into our arms for us to try on. Amid the mountain of dresses that dumped onto the bench in the dressing room, I only found one that fit my liking. It was a dark blue spaghetti strap that stopped right above my knees. There was a bow that tied in the front that accentuated my waist. After getting approval from Alice, I put the remaining dresses back, paid for my dress and waited for the others. Once they had paid, we walked back out to Rosalie's car and drove back to our apartment.

Alice looked at the clock and announced that the two hours was up. We all sat on the couch and I listened as Rose and Alice talked incessantly about the boys. My thoughts moved to the upcoming dance. I was actually looking forward to it. I had never been to a masquerade and figured it could be fun. I began daydreaming about the masquerade scene in Phantom of the Opera. I imagined myself dancing with a handsome man in a mask who twirled me around the dance floor with grace and skill. When we stopped dancing, he pulled his mask off. I was anxious to see the face of the man who was making my heart go crazy. Edward stood before me, mask in hand, grinning that crooked grin. I gasped and opened my eyes. I was curled up on the couch alone. Alice and Rosalie had obviously left me alone to sleep. I got up, wanting to move around to rid my mind of my dream. All of that shopping must have got to my head. Me and Edward, _together_? It was less of a dream and more of a nightmare!

Oh, well, I thought. I had too much to do to worry about a stupid dream. I sat down at my desk, opened my government book, and began studying.

_That Saturday…_

Alice, Rose and I stood in the living room after changing into our dance attire. Rosalie had chosen a bright red halter top that flowed down to her knees. Alice was wearing a black strapless dress that ended at mid thigh. We all sat on the couch, waiting for Jessica, Lauren, and Angela to arrive. When they did, we all piled into Rose's BMW and Alice's Porsche and drove to the dance. The boys were going to meet us there.

When we arrived, we all stood in the parking lot as Alice passed out our masks. They were simple and matched our outfits. After everyone had their mask, we walked into the dance. Everyone was wearing a mask of some sort. Colors flashed before my eyes as people danced in front of me. We all joined the crowd and began dancing.

_It's gettin late I'm making my way over to my favorite placeI gotta get my body moving shake the stress awayI wasn't looking for nobody when you looked my wayPossible candidate Who knew That you'd be up in here lookin like you do You're makin' stayin' over here impossible Baby I must say your aura is incredible If you dont have to go don't_

As I danced, I noticed some guy move behind me and start dancing with me. I didn't particularly mind, so I started moving my hips along with his.

_Do you know what you started I just came here to party But now we're rockin on the dancefloor Acting naughty Your hands around my waist Just let the music play We're hand in handChest to chest And now we're face to face_

We continued dancing and as I turned around to face him, I noticed his eyes behind his jet black mask. They were bright green and quite familiar, but I couldn't place them. We continued dancing until the song was over and we moved towards the wall.

"You know, some of the guys around campus say that you can be quite unfriendly. Well, the actual word they use is bitch," the masked man said.

"Oh, and would you tell me exactly who told you that?" I asked, rolling my eyes. "I'm dying to know what boy still holds a grudge against me for turning him down."

"No, not now," came his reply.

"Could you tell me your name?" I asked

"Not now," his velvety voice replied as his lip twitched. It clicked. _Edward_. That idiot didn't think that I would recognize him. I chuckled to myself. I guess I could have a little fun.

"Well, I bet I know one of them," I said, crossing my arms. "Edward Masen has always had this thing against me."

"Who is he?"

"Oh, just some dull, idiotic guy," I replied, waving my hand. "He thinks he's pretty funny, but he doesn't seem to realize that people don't laugh with him as much as they laugh at him."

"Well, if I see him again, I'll let him know what you said,"

"Please do. He might make a few jokes about me, so be sure to laugh at them. It's best to just let him stay under the fallacy that he's funny."

With that, I turned on my heal and walked away, leaving Edward fuming behind me. This evening had turned out better than I thought!

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**Okay, I have had over five hundred hits on this story. I really want to know what you think! PLEASE review! **

**It may be a while before I update again, but the next chapter should be up before Monday. It will be the dance from Edward's POV.**

**Once again, PLEASE REVIEW!!**

**P.S. The song is Don't Stop the Music by Rihanna.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Here is the rest of the masquerade. It is in three different POVs: Edward, Jasper, and Mike. **

**Hope you like!!**

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Emmett, Jasper and I walked into the dance around eight o' clock. There were already several people there, dancing around in masks of various colors. I was wearing a simple black mask that matched my black slacks and black long-sleeve button up shirt that I had rolled up to the elbow. I wasn't exactly looking forward to the evening, but had decided before we left to make the best of it.

I saw Jasper nudge Emmett and point towards the door. I turned and saw Alice, Rosalie, and Bella, all looking gorgeous, walk through the door, holding their masks to their faces. As the girls walked out to the middle of the floor and began dancing, I was struck with an idea; maybe this evening would prove to be entertaining. I adjusted my mask, confident that it covered enough to hide my identity. I saw Bella dancing away from the others and began walking over to her.

I stood behind her and began to dance along with her. She turned her head to look at me and her chocolate brown eyes locked on my green ones. I suddenly felt… strange. I couldn't quite explain it and before I had a chance to think about it, she had turned around. I continued dancing with her, trying to shake the strange feeling away.

The song ended and I followed her to stand by the wall.

"You know," I said, without looking at her, "some of the guys around campus say that you can be quite unfriendly. Well, the actual word they use is bitch."

"Oh, and would you tell me exactly who told you that?" I asked, rolling my eyes. She replied while rolling her eyes. "I'm dying to know what boy still holds a grudge against me for turning him down."

"No, not now," I said, trying to hold back the smile. She still didn't know who I was.

"Could you tell me your name?" She asked.

"Not now," I repeated, desperately trying to keep myself from laughing at her. I guess the mask really did hide my face well enough.

"Well, I bet I know one of them," she said, crossing my arms. "Edward Masen has always had this thing against me."

Oh, this would be interesting! What would she have to say about me? "Who is he?" I asked as innocently as I could.

"Oh, just some dull, idiotic guy," she replied, waving her hand. My face fell. "He thinks he's pretty funny, but he doesn't seem to realize that people don't laugh with him as much as they laugh at him."

Who did she think she was?! Dull?! Idiotic?! Oh, I would _have_ to get her back for this.

"Well, if I see him again, I'll let him know what you said," I replied.

"Please do. He might make a few jokes about me, so be sure to laugh at them. It's best to just let him stay under the fallacy that he's funny."

With that, she turned on her heal and walked away into the crowd. I couldn't believe her! I stood fuming for another few minutes before I stormed off through the crowd and accidentally ran into Jasper. He had been sanding on the side of the room, talking with Rosalie. He grinned at me.

"So, Edward," he said, still grinning, "I just talked to Bella. She said you were quite rude to her."

I felt my anger rise again. "She knew it was me?! That - that -" I couldn't even finish my sentence.

Jasper began laughing. "Aw, Ed! Did she hurt your feelings?"

My face reddened. "You know, if her breath were as cold as her heart, she would be spitting ice cubes."

Jasper continued laughing at me as I crossed my arms. He looked over my shoulder and his grin widened. "Look Eddie, here she comes!"

I quickly turned to see Bella, Emmett, and Alice walking towards us. I turned back to Jasper as she came within earshot.

"I'm out. I can't be in the same room for one more minute with this… _harpy_!" I spat as I turned and walked towards the door. I knew I had acted childishly, but at that point I didn't care. I wasn't about to be around Bella for the rest of the evening. I climbed into my Volvo. Jasper and Emmett could get a ride with the girls. Right now, I needed to drive around and blow off some steam.

_**A/N: This is Jasper's POV from the beginning of the dance.**_

As I saw Alice walk through the door, I felt my heart skip a beat. She looked astounding! I saw her eyes scanning the room until they settled on me and I saw a smile break over her face. I walked over to meet her on the dance floor.

"Hi, Jazzy!" she said, wrapping her arms around me. I embraced her and then pulled back to kiss her softly. She smiled up at me.

"Would you like to dance?" I asked, holding out my hand for her.

Her smile widened and she took my hand. We began dancing and I lost all sense of time. Her body seemed to fit perfectly with mine. We moved together and, at some point, I felt as if our bodies became one. Wow, I was in love… and I couldn't be happier.

All too soon the song ended and we walked over to where Emmett stood, watching Rosalie start dancing with another guy.

"I can't stand this!" he said in anguish. "I'm in love with her and she has no clue! I have to do something, but…"

"But, what?" I said. "Come on, man! Just grow a pair and tell her!"

He smiled sheepishly at me. "Could you tell her for me?"

I laughed. "Emmett, this isn't high school."

"I know, but I don't know if I can! Please, Jazz? I promise I will never ask you for anything ever again!"

I thought for a minute. "Alright, I guess. But you owe me, Emmett!" I was suddenly crushed in one of Emmett's bear hugs. After hearing him thank me twenty times, I walked over to Rosalie. She had just finished dancing and was standing by the drink table.

"Hey, Rose," I said as I approached her.

"Hey, Jasper," she said. "Are you having fun with Alice?"

I grinned. "Yeah, she's… amazing."

Rosalie laughed. "You two are perfect for each other. But you should remember that if you hurt her, I will make sure that you can never have kids!"

"You don't have to worry about that. I don't think I could hurt her," I said. "How about you, Rose? Have any guys caught your eyes?"

She turned red. "Only one," she said, staring at the floor.

I contemplated continuing with my questions, but decided to cut right to the chase. "Okay, Rose, I know that this is a bit sudden, but I have something to tell you. Emmett, well, Emmett is kind of in love with you."

She stared at me. A smile began to creep over her face. "He asked you to tell me?"

"Yeah, its pretty childish, I know."

She suddenly squealed and threw her arms around my neck. "Oh, Jasper! I've had the biggest crush on him for so long! Where is he? I want to talk to him!"

I laughed. "Calm down, Rose. He's standing on the other side of the room."

Just then, I saw Bella walking towards us with a huge smile on her face. Something was up.

"What did you do, Bella?" I asked warily.

"Oh, nothing!" She replied, still smiling. "Edward just tried to trick me. He was actually quite rude! I made him think that I didn't know who he was and, well… I might have made a few jokes about him to his face."

"Bella, you're awful!" I said, laughing. "But, I have to admit, that's pretty funny. Hey could you do me a favor and bring Emmett and Alice over here?"

"Sure, I'll be right back."

She turned away and not twenty seconds later, Edward ran into me, looking angry enough to kill.

"So, Edward," I said, grinning at him, "I just talked to Bella. She said you were quite rude to her."

Anger flashed in his eyes again. "She knew it was me?! That - that -" I laughed as he became flustered.

"Aw, Ed! Did she hurt your feelings?"

He turned bright red "You know, if her breath were as cold as her heart, she would be spitting ice cubes."

I burst out laughing. I then noticed Bella, Emmett and Alice walking towards us. I grinned wider. "Look Eddie, here she comes!"

He turned and saw Bella approaching and turned quickly back to me.

"I'm out. I can't be in the same room for one more minute with this… _harpy_!"

He stormed away and we all began laughing.

Bella, you hurt his feelings!" I said, laughing.

"Joyously!" she said, throwing her head back with laughter. "Here's Emmett."

Emmett stepped forward, looking from Rosalie to me and back again.

"Yes, Emmett, I talked to her for you and she has something to say."

"Emmett, I've never told you this, but I've always liked you as more than a friend; I've just never been able to tell you," Rose said, looking at Emmett.

"I've been the same way," he said. "Rose, I love you."

With that, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

We all smiled as they broke apart. Bella rolled her eyes. "Okay, there's only so much of this I can take. I'm going to go dance. I'll see you guys later."

I watched her as she walked away. "Bella's really a neat girl. I'm surprised she hasn't found someone yet."

"She just doesn't seem to like anyone who asks her out," Alice said, coming to stand next to me.

An idea suddenly popped into my head. "You know, she would be an excellent girl… for Edward!"

They all stared at me for a moment before they burst out laughing.

"Honestly, Jasper!" Rosalie said, still laughing. "They would kill each other."

"No, I agree," Alice said. "I think they were made for each other."

"Alright, I have a plan," I said confidently. "Will you all help me?"

They all nodded their consent and gathered around me as I explained my plan to them. By the time we were done, Edward and Bella would be completely and totally in love with each other!

_**Mike's POV**_

I watched the group put their heads together to discuss something. Moments before, I had seen Emmett kiss Rosalie, which fit into my plan perfectly. Everything was falling into place. It was only a matter of time before their perfect little world would begin falling down around their feet.

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**Alright, once again, this story has had nearly 700 hits, but only nine reviews. Please let me know what you think of this story! Its my first one and I want to know what yall think!**

**Okay it will be a few days until my next update… I have regional debate for the next two days. I will hopefully update again on Sunday.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry about the wait! I had to debate my little heart out! Okay here is chapter seven! Its time to put Jasper's plan into place!**

**Hope you like!**

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**Edward's POV**

The day after the dance, we all got up at nine o' clock to begin painting our new apartment. We had decided on a medium tan for the bedroom and sage green for the rest of the apartment. The girls arrived around ten to help us. They started on the bedroom while we started on the living room. Emmett greeted Rosalie with a big hug and a tender kiss, smiling at her as he released her. Alice came to stand next to Jasper and, after a quick kiss, pulled his head down so she could whisper something in his ear. When she pulled away, they were both grinning. They were up to something…

I was pulled out of my thoughts when Bella walked through the door. Immediately, I crossed my arms and turned away. I had to admit, I was acting childish, but I had no desire to speak to or even see her. I saw her smirk at me before following Rose and Alice into the other room.

It was a long and slow process. The three of us had changed into basketball shorts and muscle shirts to paint in and by lunchtime, we were all splattered with paint. The girls walked in to check our progress. They didn't have quite as much paint on them as we did, but, then again, they weren't painting around Emmett.

"I think its time to break for lunch," Jasper said, putting down his paint roller.

"Rose, Bella, and I can run to Taco Bell and pick up some food," Alice said, walking to her purse to get pen and paper. "What does everyone want?"

We all told her our orders and the girls left to go get the food. We looked around at what we had done so far. It was looking pretty good, but it would still be awhile before we were done. We headed into the bedroom to see how the girls had done. After inspecting their work, we sat down on the floor.

As soon as I had made myself comfortable, Jasper turned to me, saying, "Hey, Edward, why don't you go get those fold out chairs from Emmett's jeep so we can have somewhere to sit."

I sighed, but stood up and, after Emmett had tossed me his keys, walked out to his jeep. I opened the back and pulled out four foldable chairs. I made my way back to the apartment and opened the door. I heard Emmett and Jasper talking in the other room. I started unfolding the chairs in the living room. Jasper and Emmett were talking a bit louder now, obviously oblivious to the fact that I had returned.

"It's just so strange!" Emmett was saying as I began sitting down. "Bella in love with Edward?"

I twisted my body around as I sat, causing me to miss the chair and land on the floor. I cursed softly and hid behind the wall. Maybe the hadn't heard…

"I know!" Jasper said. "I didn't think her capable of love, but I guess I was wrong. According to Alice, she's infatuated with him."

My jaw dropped. Could this be possible?

"Yeah, Rose said she talks about him all the time. But I don't understand why she doesn't just tell him!"

My heart jumped as I heard that. Bella talked about me that much?

"Oh, like you told Rose?" Jasper scoffed. "She's probably afraid he'll just be a jerk like he always is, but ten times worse. Alice said that, when she suggested she tell him, she said she couldn't tell him she loved him after all the times she's shown him hostility."

"If he were a jerk, I would beat the shit out of him!" Emmett said angrily. "Bella is so nice… and smart, too."

"Well, her intelligence seems to be lacking at least a bit if she's in love with Edward," Jasper mumbled.

I felt a slight pang of guilt. Maybe I was a little too rude to Bella sometimes…

"So should we tell Edward?" Emmett asked.

I involuntarily began nodding my head.

"No… he would probably just make her life a living hell. You know, Edward is like my brother, but I wish he would realize that he really doesn't deserve a woman as good as Bella."

"Yeah… Well, we better clean up so we have a place to eat."

I heard them getting up and scrambled to the door, flying out of it just as Emmett and Jasper entered the room.

I walked to the stairwell and sat down on the bottom step. How could this be? I couldn't imagine that Bella would actually love me, but both Rosalie and Alice had confirmed it…. I had never expected this… I made up my mind quickly. Underneath all of the hostility, I loved Bella, just as she loved me! I would requite her love! Everything they said was true; Bella was kind, smart, and beautiful and I was unworthy of her love. However, I would be completely and totally in love with her! A grin spread over my face. I stood up to walk back to the room when I saw Emmett and Jasper walking out of it.

"We're going to go run and get some water bottles," Jasper said. "We forgot to tell the girls to pick some up."

I waved as they passed and walked into the room. I threw myself on the floor and sighed. I was in love…

**Jasper's POV**

Emmett and I had barely made it to the stairwell before we exploded with laughter.

"Did you see his face?!" Emmett was howling. "Priceless!"

"Now all we have to do is wait for Alice and Rose to tell Bella that Edward is in love with her," I said. "Once they do that, she'll realize that she loves him, too!"

"Man, this was the best plan ever! Jazz, you are a genius! I never would have thought about tricking them into loving each other!"

I grinned at him. "I have another idea. Let's eat outside and make Bella go get him and bring him out!"

"Ha, that will be great!"

We met the girls in the parking lot and explained that it would be nice to eat outside, away from the smell of paint.

"Bella, why don't you go get Edward?" I asked. "He's still in the apartment."

She scowled at me, but left without saying a word.

"So how did things go?" Alice asked excitedly.

"Really well. He's convinced that she's in love with him and I'm certain that he's convinced himself to love her back," I said.

"We'll tell Bella that Edward is in love with her later today," Rose was saying. "She's been complaining about him all day. Well, she hates him now, but by the time we're through, she'll love him!"

We all laughed and sat down on the grass to wait.

**Edward's POV**

I was still lying on the floor when I heard a familiar voice.

"Edward?" she yelled.

I jumped up and sat in one of the chairs, trying to situate myself into a more attractable position. She walked through the door.

"Against my will I was sent to give you a message. We're eating outside under the trees," she said, turning to leave quickly.

"Thank you for going through the trouble to tell me," I said, smiling, trying to be polite as possible.

She paused, turning slowly to look at me. "If it had been any trouble, I wouldn't have bothered." She once again turned to leave.

"So you were happy to give me the message?" I asked quickly, giving her a crooked smile.

She turned to look at me again. "I was about as happy as you would be if you were sitting on a knife. If you don't want to join us, fine."

With that, she turned on her heel and disappeared. I smiled widely. 'Against my will I am sent'? There was a double meaning in that! I really did love Bella. Somehow, I would prove it to her! I stood up and flew down the hall and the stairs to the love of my life.

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**See, Jasper had things all planned out! Now its up to Rosalie and Alice to make Bella fall in love with Edward!**

**PPPPPPPLLLLLLEEEEAAAASSSSEEEE REVIEW!!**

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	8. Chapter 8

**This story is turning out a lot better than I thought it would! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate it!**

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**Bella's POV**

I groaned as I sat up in bed. Painting the boys' apartment had made me a little sore. Luckily we had nothing to do today but lounge around the house. I thought back to yesterday. That morning, Edward had acted quite hostile to me, just as I had expected he would. However, the afternoon was a whole different story. He seemed to always find an excuse to be around me. He tried to help me constantly and not once made a snide comment. I couldn't understand what his problem was! I looked at my clock and saw that it was ten thirty. After showering and dressing, I headed into the kitchen to find Rosalie and Alice sitting at the table, talking. Alice looked up and smiled at me.

"Hey, there! I didn't think you would ever get up."

I went to the coffee pot and poured myself a cup. "Exactly how long have the two of you been up?"

"Oh, not too long. We were just thinking of things to do today," Rosalie said. "Summer is almost over and we want to make the most out of our last few days."

"So what did you decide we should do?" I asked.

"We're going swimming!" Alice said excitedly.

"Alright, sounds fun," I said, taking a sip of coffee.

We all headed to the bedroom to get ready for the day. I raced to the bathroom first and put on my bright blue bikini. Alice had bought it for me at the beginning of the summer; it was one of the few things I actually liked that she had forced on me. I pulled on a grey tank top and short jean shorts over my bikini and walked to the living room to wait. Alice and Rosalie soon emerged, Alice in a black tank top and pink shorts and Rose in a red tank top and black shorts.

The pool was only a few miles away and when we got there, we were pleased to discover that few people were there. We paid the three dollars to get in and then put our bags down on three chairs. We stripped down to our bikinis and jumped in the pool. The water was cool, but comfortable enough to swim in. Pretty soon, we were all racing back and forth, laughing like little kids. After about forty-five minutes, we got out and headed to the hot tub to relax.

"I'm going to go get a drink. Do you two want anything?" I asked, standing up.

They both shook their heads and I headed back to where we had left our things. I pulled my bottle of water out of my large bag and took a drink. I checked my phone for missed calls or messages before heading back to the hot tub to rejoin Alice and Rosalie.

As I approached the hot tub, I heard Rosalie talking to Alice.

"I'm telling you, Alice, she's just too damn mean!"

"I couldn't believe it when Jasper told me… I mean, honestly! Edward in love with Bella?"

I gasped and hid behind the bushes surrounding the hot tub. Did they just say what I thought they said?

"I know! I had a hard time believing it myself when Emmett told me. He said that Edward is head-over-heels in love with her. Do you think we should tell her?"

They did say it! Edward was in love with me?

"She would just break his heart! I'm telling you Rose, Bella can't love!"

I restrained myself from hurling an insult at her, wishing to stay hidden until the end of their conversation.

"So what should we do?" Rose asked.

I heard Alice sigh. "I guess I have to talk to Edward. He has to fight his emotions! Otherwise, she'll just hurt him."

I felt my heart sink at these words. Strangely, I didn't want Edward to hurt in any way.

"Oh, don't!" Rose said. "I think we should give them a chance. He deserves an honest, loving relationship just as much as Bella does. Maybe its what they both need."

My heart leapt at these words.

"I don't know, Rose… I think we should just wait and see how things play out. Maybe Edward will tell her himself."

"I guess you're right," Rose said. I heard her stand up. "Let's go back to the pool. Its getting a little too hot here."

I crawled around until I was hidden as they left the hot tub. I stood up and walked to the edge of the hot tub. I sat down and put my feet in the water. Edward loved me… It was just so strange! I couldn't believe it… or… could I? Could it be that, subconsciously, I had always had feelings for Edward? Regardless, things were about to change. I would say farewell to my contempt and hostility… and I would embrace the love that I was beginning to feel for Edward. I never thought I would feel this way for anyone, much less for Edward! But I really did love him! I began smiling, kicking my feet in the water slightly. This feeling was amazing!

**Alice's POV**

Rosalie and I permitted ourselves broad grins as we walked away from the hot tub.

"That went very well," she said, laughing. "She has no choice but to love him!"

I laughed with her. "I know! This was the greatest idea ever! I don't think they realize just how perfect for each other they are."

"I agree… Oh, no!" Rose had just checked her phone. "Emmett cancelled our date tonight. He's got a cold and doesn't want to get me sick…"

I could tell she was quite upset so I decided to try to cheer her up. "It's okay, Rose! All of us can go out tonight. I heard about this new club downtown that's supposed to be really nice."

Okay," she said, grinning at me. "That doesn't sound too bad."

We gathered our stuff and went to find Bella to tell her of our latest plans.

**Lauren's POV**

I watched Alice and Rosalie walk away from my hiding place beside the showers. I picked up my cell phone and called Mike.

"Yes?"

"Tonight's the night," I said. "All three of them are going out clubbing so if we're going to do this, now is the time."

I could almost hear him smiling on the phone. "Excellent! All right, you know the plan. Be sure that you and Jessica are in place at the right time."

We said goodbye and I put my phone back in my pocket.

I grinned. It was almost time…

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**All right, the **_**real**_** action starts in the next chapter! Mike is about to make his move!!**

**Once again, thanks to the reviewers! Keep on reviewing!!**

**Does anyone have any guesses as to what Mike's plan might be?? If you guess, you get a smiley face! Yay!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay so I changed my mind about this chapter. Its time for Edward and Bella to let their emotions out!**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Keep it up, I enjoy hearing from you! I promise to reply to every review from now on!**

**I meant to have this chapter out on Friday, but the internet was down… I'm slightly discouraged about this story… I'm not sure why, though. I will finish it no matter what though. **

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**Bella's POV**

I sat in the back of Rosalie's BMW, trying to sort through my thoughts. Rose and Alice were busy chatting about the evening's activities. I tuned them out and closed my eyes; I could see Edward in my mind's eye and a small smile crept over my face.

We soon arrived at our apartment and we all headed to our room to find clothes for that evening. I walked to the doorway, still deep in thought, and stopped by my dresser.

I made up my mind in a second.

"Hey, guys, I'm going to go… to the store," I said, keeping my eyes down as I looked at them.

"What do you need?" Alice asked. "You went to the store yesterday."

"I know, but I need…," I racked my brain. I really didn't need anything and Alice probably knew that. "tampons. I forgot them."

"Okay, well, be sure to be back in time for us to fix your hair." I thought I detected a smile in her voice, but I didn't look up to see.

I walked swiftly out the door, not paying attention to where I was going. Before I knew it, I was standing outside of the boy's apartment. I raised my hand to knock but stopped. Was I doing the right thing? Should I tell him? I had made up my mind that I returned Edward's feelings, but I wasn't sure if I was quite ready to tell him. Now that I was here, I was having second thoughts…

My internal battle was interrupted by the door flying open. I stared at Edward, dressed in his workout clothes with his gym bag over his shoulder, noticing for the first time just how handsome he really was.

He stared back at me, his eyes unreadable.

"Um, hi Edward," I said sheepishly.

"Hi," he said, his voice matching his eyes.

"Listen, I really need to talk to you. I know you're on your way out, but could I come in for a few minutes. It won't take long."

He nodded and stepped aside to let me in. I walked over to the couch and sat down; Edward followed me, looking tense and on edge.

"Edward, I know we've always had an… interesting relationship," I began. "but, well, I've been told that you-"

I was cut off as he grabbed my face and pressed his lips to mine. Sparks flashed before my eyes and did not disappear as I snapped them briefly open. I closed my eyes an sighed, leaning into his kiss. His lips parted slightly as he move them against mine. I could feel an electric current pass between us as his hands moved from my face, down my arms, and to my waist, pulling me closer. We broke away, gasping for air. He stared at me, his eyes smoldering.

I cleared my throat. "Well, that was…" I struggled for a word to describe the intensity of the kiss. "completely and utterly amazing," I finished with a smile.

His crooked grin sent my heart flying as he once again brought his lips down to meet mine. He kissed me gently before moving his mouth to my ear. "I've been waiting for this."

I felt my heart flutter at his words. I couldn't believe this was actually happening. I had just experienced the most passionate kiss in my life and it was with Edward!

I suddenly remembered Alice and Rosalie, who were no doubt waiting for me to return so they could fix me up for the night. I felt my face fall at the thought of leaving.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked, running his thumb over my bottom lip. "You look sad all of the sudden."

"Alice and Rose ha plans for us tonight," I explained. "They wanted to go dancing at some new club downtown, but…"

"But what?"

I looked up at him through my eyelashes. "I don't want to go."

He looked taken aback, but another grin soon covered his face. He leaned down to whisper in my ear. "Then don't."

This time, I pulled his face to mine, kissing him fiercely. Eventually, I pulled away and took out my cell phone, dialing Alice's number.

"Hey, Alice, I just ran into Angela and she had a huge fight with Ben. She asked if I could come over to her apartment tonight to keep her company and I said yes. I guess you'll just have to go to the club without me."

"Okay," Alice said, sounding disappointed. "What are you two going to do?"

"Oh, I don't know. Probably just watch some movies, eat take out, and talk."

"I guess its okay this time, but only because its for Angela! Next time, there's no getting out of it!"

"You got it," I said grinning. We hung up and I put my phone back in my pocket. "Problem solved!"

He laughed. "I'm glad you're so smart." He took my face in his hands and pulled it up to meet his. We fell back onto the couch without breaking the kiss. I smiled against his lips. Things couldn't get any better than this…

**Edward's POV**

I groaned as I pulled myself off the couch. Emmett and Jasper had gone out to run errands and I had stayed behind. I had tried to do odd jobs around the apartment, but found that I was too distracted to get anything done. I had given up and retreated to the living room to watch TV. Unsurprisingly, I still couldn't concentrate. I couldn't stop thinking about Bella… It was still strange to think that she actually loved me! I decided to go to the gym to work out in an attempt to clear my mind. I changed quickly and threw a towel, a change of clothes, and a water bottle into my gym bag before heading towards the door. I opened it to find Bella, her had raised as if she was about to knock. I stared at her, feeling my heart race.

"Um, hi Edward," she said, not breaking eye contact.

"Hi," I replied. I felt too paralyzed to move.

"Listen, I really need to talk to you. I know you're on your way out, but could I come in for a few minutes. It won't take long."

My reply was lost got lost in my throat so I merely nodded and moved aside so she could come in.

We sat down on the couch and she turned to look at me. God, she really was beautiful… Her eyes, her lips, everything… I wanted to kiss her so bad I could hardly stand it!

"Edward, I know we've always had an… interesting relationship," she started. "but, well, I've been told that you-"

I never let her finish. Acting on impulse, I grabbed her face and kissed her. As soon as I did, I felt a chill run down my spine. I could see fireworks behind my closed eyes and felt a spark of energy pass between our skin everywhere we touched. I felt her melt into my arms and I moved my hands to her waist to pull her closer to me. We both broke away, out of breath. I couldn't hide my desire as I stared at her, noticing how flushed face was from our kiss.

"Well, that was…completely and utterly amazing," she said, smiling at me.

I grinned and once again pressed my lips to hers. I leaned down to her ear an whispered, "I've been waiting for this." It couldn't have been truer. I had often wondered if I would ever find someone who could make me feel this way. She smiled at me, but suddenly she frowned, looking at the ground.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "You look sad all of the sudden."

She continued to look down as she spoke. "Alice and Rose ha plans for us tonight. They wanted to go dancing at some new club downtown, but…"

"But what?"

She looked up at me. "I don't want to go." I felt my heart skip a beat as she said this. She wanted to stay with me.

I leaned down to once again whisper in her ear. "Then don't."

She suddenly grabbed my face in her hands and pulled it down to her lips, kissing me passionately. Her lips were amazing as they moved softly but enthusiastically against mine. All too soon, she pulled away, taking out her cell phone.

I heard her talking to Alice, but didn't pay attention to their conversation. I was too busy taking in all the details of her face. She was astonishingly beautiful. Her skin was smooth, her cheeks still slightly pink, and her chocolate brown eyes…. I had never seen eyes as beautiful as hers.

She shut her phone and turned to me. "Problem solved!" she said happily.

"I'm glad you're so smart!" I said, laughing. I once again pressed my lips to hers, feeling the same spark as the first time. I lowered her back onto the couch, holding myself over her. This was where I wanted to be…

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**Well, there you go! They don't know that they were tricked, but that doesn't matter! They loved each other before, they just didn't know it! **

**It will be a few days before I update… gotta go to another competition…**

**Once again, thanks to everyone who reviewed and PLEASE keep reviewing! I really like hearing from yall! I will reply to every review from now on!**

**Hope you like it!**

**: )**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys! **

**Sorry it took me so long to update…. School was pretty hectic this week… and I'll hear about my job application at the local plant nursery this week so don't worry if my updates aren't as quick as they used to be.**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter! I think it turned out okay. If any of it doesn't make sense, let me know and I'll fix it or explain it or whatever.**

**I reply to all reviews!!**

**XD**

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**Jasper's POV**

Emmett and I sat across from each other in a booth at our favorite restaurant. We had just ordered our meals when my phone rang. I saw Alice's picture on the screen and smiled.

"Hello, Beautiful."

"Hey, Jazz! What are you boys up to?"

"We just sat down to eat and then we were thinking about catching a movie since you girls abandoned us tonight," I said, grinning.

"It's just for tonight. Don't worry, you'll have us back soon."

"Well, you three have fun."

"Oh, well its only me tonight. I'm going with some other friends. Rose got sick when we got home… I think she has some sort of stomach bug. And…," Alice paused. I could hear the smile in her voice. "Bella is at your apartment… with Edward."

My mouth fell open. "Are you kidding?! It worked?!" Emmett looked up, now listening with a grin on his face.

"Yes!" Alice squealed. "She tried to lie and say she had errands to run, but you know how bad a liar she is. Then, about fifteen minutes ago, she called me and said she was hanging out with Angela tonight, but we know that's not true. Angela went home for a few days. She's spending the evening with Edward!"

My grin widened as she talked. Everything had gone according to plan and Bella and Edward were completely taken with one another.

Alice and I said our goodbyes and I told Emmett what Alice had told me.

"Hell yes!" Emmett said, pounding the table. "Maybe this will loosen him up a little. So much for him not trusting women!"

By that time, our dinner had arrived and we ate quickly in order to get to the movie on time. It was about nine thirty when we pulled into the movie theatre parking lot. My phone began buzzing as we got out of the car. I looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Mike.

"Yes, Mike?"

"Jasper, what are you doing?"

"Emmett and I are about to go to a movie. Why?"

"Well, its…"

"What, Mike? What's wrong?" I was starting to get impatient.

"I can't explain it over the phone. Meet me outside your apartment building as soon as you can. I'll tell you then."

I paused. What was so important? "Okay, Mike. We'll be there soon."

I hung up. "Emmett, we have to go meet Mike at the apartment. Something's wrong."

"Dammit… What could be so bad that he couldn't tell us over the phone?"

I shrugged and climbed back in the car. It was a fifteen minute drive back to the apartment building and when we arrived, we saw Mike sitting on the hood of his car.

"Okay, Mike, what's so important?" I asked.

Mike turned away from me and faced Emmett. "It's Rosalie. She's cheating on you, Emmett."

Emmett burst out laughing. "My Rosie? No way, Mike. She'd never do that."

I smiled with him. "Rosalie would never do that to Emmett. Have you seen the way she looks at him? Honestly Mike, don't be stupid."

"Why don't you follow me then, and when you have seen and heard, then you can decide if you believe me or not."

Our smiles faded. Was he serious? Mike began walking around the building. Emmett and I exchanged a quick glance before following him.

He led us to the back of the building, right below the girls' room. We took a few steps back and followed Mike behind some bushed. He pointed to the window. I gasped when I saw what Mike had been talking about.

The window was open and we could hear noises coming out of it…. _moaning. _Two figures stood in the window, embracing one another. My jaw dropped as I recognized Eric. He was holding Rosalie against him as he kissed her bare shoulders. Rosalie's back was to us but her hair was recognizable, falling down her bare back. I looked over at Emmett. His mouth was wide open as he stared at the scene above us. I could see tears glistening in his eyes. I grasped his shoulder and pulled him away from the building.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Mike said. "I have to go… Once again, I'm sorry." He walked away, back to the parking lot. I placed my hands on Emmett's shoulders.

"Emmett, look at me." His eyes met mine and I felt a wave of sympathy for him. "It'll be okay. I promise. You'll get through this."

"How could she do this to me, Jasper? How?"

"I don't know. I never thought Rosalie would do something like that. I guess I was wrong."

"I'll get her back for this…" he growled. I remained silent. I had always liked Rosalie as a friend, but she had broken my best friend's heart. Something had to be done.

I led Emmett into the building and to our apartment. Emmett walked to the refrigerator and grabbed a beer. He sat down on the couch and stared at the floor. He put his head in his hands with his elbows on his knees and let out a sob. I had only seen Emmett cry once before, when his mother died, and knew that he must be in great pain. I sat on the couch next to him. I would be there for him, just has he had been there for me. My hands balled into fists. Rosalie would pay for this…

**Lauren's POV**

I found my bra and began to put it back on. Eric was pulling his t-shirt on over his head.

"Well that went well," I said, pulling my own shirt on. "You're sure they saw us?"

Eric laughed. "Yeah, I could just barely see Emmett's face, but from what I saw, he was pissed!"

I smiled. I heard three sharp raps on the door and got up to answer it. Mike walked in.

"Good job…" he said smugly. "This should rile them up a little. It's a good thing they gave you a spare key, Lauren. You're sure Alice thinks Rose is here?"

"Yes, but she's still at the grocer store getting medicine. Jessica is following her."

"This worked out quite well," Mike muttered to himself. "Okay, lets get out of here in case they come back early."

We left after locking the door and walked to Mike's car. I pulled out my phone and texted Jessica to tell her we were leaving..

As we pulled out of the parking lot, we saw Rosalie's BMW pulling into her parking lot. I smiled. In a few hours, their perfect world would come crashing down.

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**So there was Mike's plan! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next one should be up a bit quicker than this one was… hopefully…. If everything works out okay…**

**Reviewreviewreviewreviewreview!!**

**Once again, I reply to all reivews!!**


	11. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

**I'm soooooo sorry for not updating! Things have literally been crazy here for the past two months… I won't go into detail, but I've got some issues to work out. There are hard times ahead for me, but I can survive! I will start writing the next chapter today and have it posted either tonight or tomorrow. I will replace this author's note with the next chapter.**

**Once again, I'm really sorry I haven't updated! Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed! I really appreciate the support!**

**Court**


	12. Chapter 11

**Okay, here is the next chapter. Once again, I'm really sorry for taking so long to update. I'm trying to work out some difficult things in my life, but I'm doing better. Things just take time. **

**You might have noticed that I changed the rating from M to T. The reason is mainly because I changed my mind and don't want to put lemons in this story. Although this is a modern piece of fiction, I really want to keep more of the characters' personalities in the story, which basically means yay for abstinence! Also, this also is tied to a great Shakespearian play that also has a lot to do with virtue. I really don't want to stray away from Shakespeare's story either. Sorry if that disappoints any readers, but I did what I thought was right. Just think of this new motto for the story: we're in the business of making friends, boyfriends, and girlfriends… NOT making babies…. Yet.**

**Enjoy!**

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**Bella's POV**

I awoke to find myself in a foreign room. I sat up as I tried to remember where I was. I felt movement next to me and heard a groan. Edward shifted slightly on the couch behind me as last night's memories came flooding back. Edward and I had fallen asleep on the couch after talking until one that morning. I smiled as I brushed a lock of his bronze hair away from his face. His face twitched.

"Good morning," I said as his eyes opened.

"Good morning, beautiful," he said, rubbing my back. "How did you sleep?"

"Wonderful," I replied. "I didn't even know where I was this morning."

Edward grinned and looked around, running a hand through is hair. "Emmett and Jasper got back." he said, nodding to the keys sitting on the table by the door.

"In that case, I should probably go," I said, standing up and grabbing my purse. "I'd rather not start the day out with their teasing."

"I understand," Edward chuckled. "Too bad I don't really get a choice."

He walked me to the door before pulling me to him and kissing me deeply. I could feel the same electrical surge pass between us and smiled as he pulled away.

"I'll call you." He whispered. I tore my eyes away from his gaze and walked out the door. I was still in a daze as I walked back to my apartment. As I walked in, I saw Rosalie and Alice sitting at our table, eating cereal.

"Well look who it is!" Alice grinned as I set my purse down. "So nice of you to join us for breakfast!"

"Back off." I growled as I flopped onto the couch.

"Wow, we're a little cranky this morning, aren't we, Bella," Rosalie said, smiling. "I don't think you got enough sleep last night."

I pulled myself up and let her see me roll my eyes. "Whatever. Say what you want. I don't care."

"I should tell Edward to get you to sleep earlier! I don't like you when you don't get enough rest!" Alice said as she and Rosalie burst out laughing.

I stood up and stormed off to my room. Alice shouted after me, "We're all going to the Student Union for lunch. If you aren't up by eleven, I'm coming in after you!"

I threw myself onto my bed after setting my phone alarm for 10:55. I didn't want to give Alice the opportunity to wake me up herself. I sighed as I closed my eyes, imagining Edward's arms around me as I drifted to sleep…

I awoke with a start as my phone vibrated on my bed side table. I pulled myself out of bed and headed to my closet to pick out what I would wear for lunch. I decided on a pair of my favorite jeans and a blue and black shirt with starts stitched on the front. I took a quick shower, blow dried my hair, and changed before walking into the living room. Alice and Rosalie emerged soon after and we all headed to Rosalie's car.

On the way, I listened as Rosalie explained to us the weekend trip that she and Emmett were planning to take to visit Rose's parents. Her father only got a few weeks off a year and had invited them to go camping with them. She told us that her parents were thrilled to hear about the blossoming relationship between her and Emmett

As we pulled up to the Student Union, we could see the Edward, Emmett, and Jasper leaning against the building. Edward was glancing almost nervously at the other two, who looked serious and agitated. As we approached them, Alice bounded over to Jasper and kissed him quickly on the lips. Rosalie kissed Emmett quickly on the cheek, but his dark look didn't change. Rosalie glanced at me quickly. I walked over to Edward and he wrapped his arms around me, kissing the top of my head.

"Is there something I'm missing here?" I whispered, glancing quickly at Emmett's cold face.

"I'm just as lost as you are," Edward replied. "They've been this way since this morning. They won't tell me anything."

He took my hand in his and led me inside. As we sat down, we were joined by Mike. We all greeted him before lapsing into an uncomfortable silence.

Rosalie attempted to break the silence. "So, Emmett, my parents called. Our trip is all lined out. We leave this Friday after lunch and will be back late Sunday evening."

"I don't think I'll be going," Emmett said curtly. "I'd rather not go somewhere I'm not welcome."

Everyone turned to look at him and then at Rosalie. "What do you mean 'not welcome'?" she asked, surprised.

"Sorry, that's not exactly what I was trying to say," he said, looking her square in the eye. "What I meant to say was I don't want to be known as someone who dates and associates with whores."

Alice and I both stood up, nearly knocking our chairs over. "What did you say?" Alice snarled.

"Are you telling me that you didn't know your best friend has 'commitment' issues?" Emmett shot back.

"What the hell is your problem, Emmett?!" I nearly shouted as Edward attempted to sit me back down while glaring at Emmett.

"Emmett, I don't know what's going on, but you had better start explaining right now," Edward said coolly.

Emmett turned to Rosalie. "Where were you last night, Rose?" he asked.

"I was sick!" Rosalie exclaimed. "I went out to get medicine and was gone for half an hour and after that, I was in bed all night!"

"Yeah, you were in bed, but you weren't alone!" Emmett retorted.

"She's telling the truth!" Alice yelled. "She was puking her guts out when I left and she was dead asleep when I got home! The only thing she was capable of doing was getting medicine and sleeping!"

"I saw her, Alice," Jasper cut in, speaking for the first time. "Mike called us and told us to meet him at the apartment building. When we walked around back and looked in your window, we saw you and Eric… together. We know you're lying, Rosalie."

I looked at Rosalie. She had been crying softly as Emmett insulted her, but when she heard the accusation, she began sobbing. Alice and I rushed over to stand next to her.

"It's not true," I said, looking at them. "Does that sound like something she would do? Does it?!"

"I didn't think so at first either," Jasper said, sighing. "But I can't deny what I saw with my own eyes."

"Rosie," Emmett said softly. "Just tell me the truth. What were you doing last night?"

Rosalie looked up at him through her tears. "I told you, Emmett. I was sick! I was sleeping! I didn't cheat on you!"

Emmett closed his eyes for a minute. When he opened them, they were filled with anger. "Forget it, Rose!" he shouted. "You slept with someone else, which makes you a whore. Then you denied it, which makes you a liar! I don't want to see you ever again!"

With that, he stood up and stormed out of the building. Mike cleared his throat. "I'm sorry that all of this happened, but I had to look out for my friend." He then followed Emmett out the door.

Jasper stood up with a sigh. "Jazz?" Alice said softly. "Jazz, why? Why are you doing this? How could you believe this?"

"I'm sorry, Alice," he said, looking genuinely sorry. "But if the roles were reversed, you would do the same thing. I'll call you later."

We watched as Jasper followed Emmett and Mike out the door. By that time, both Alice and I had started crying as we tried to comfort a still sobbing Rosalie. We had had quite a large audience that had just begun to thin out as we helped Rosalie out to the car.

"I'll meet you guys at the apartment in fifteen minutes," I said as I helped Rosalie into the car. "Don't worry, Rose. We're here for you." She gave a small smile before dissolving into tears again.

I walked to a nearby bench and sat down. I buried my head in my hands. How could this happen? I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Edward.

"Is she going to be okay?" he asked.

"Rosie's tough, but… this is going to take her some time," I said sadly. "Do you believe them?"

"No," he said firmly. "I've known Rosalie all my life and this is the last thing she would ever do, especially to Emmett. Something's not right here. Someone's lying, but who?"

"I don't know."

"I promise, Bella, we _will _find out," he said, taking my hands in his. I nodded sadly.

"Come on," he said, pulling me to my feet. "I'll take you back to your apartment. I want to talk to Rosalie."

He pulled me against his chest, kissing me softly, before taking my hand in his and leading me to his car.

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**So there you have it! Is anyone else super excited about Breaking Dawn? Stupid question, everyone's excited! The first chapter was amazing… **

**Anyways, I hope to have the next chapter up this week, but after that I won't be able to update for awhile. I have orientation, a trip to Washington DC, then a trip to Ruidoso all back to back. If I can, I will try to write a chapter a day this week and maybe, if I'm lucky, I can finish this story before I leave!**

**REVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEW!!**

**I will respond to reviews!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	13. Chapter 12

**Okay I am really sorry for not updating… my aunt was in the hospital so I spent all day Thursday and most of Friday in the Roswell hospital. Then, of course, the storms knocked out our power… but now here is the next chapter.**

**Here is a quick note about this chapter. Chapter 11 ended with a scene between Edward and Bella and, upon further review of it, I decided it was a bit too short. So this chapter will start with the extended version of that scene. So I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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**Bella's POV**

"I'll meet you guys at the apartment in fifteen minutes," I said as I helped Rosalie into the car. "Don't worry, Rose. We're here for you." She gave a small smile before dissolving into tears again.

I walked to a nearby bench and sat down. I buried my head in my hands. How could this happen? I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Edward.

"Is she going to be okay?" he asked.

"Rosie's tough, but… this is going to take her some time," I said sadly.

"Are _you_ okay?" he asked, his bright green eyes filled with concern.

"She's like my sister," I said, looking down. "As long as I've known her, I've never seen her this hurt. It kills me to see her like this. Alice, Rosalie, and I have always been there for each other and I can't tell you how many times Rose has let us cry on her shoulder. Now she needs us and I don't know how to help her."

"Bella, you have been a wonderful friend to her. She needs support and you have always given her that. Just keep doing that and you'll be helping her more than you know." he finished with a small smile.

A moment of silence passed between us.

"Bella?"

I looked at him.

"I love you."

My heart skipped a beat. "It feels so fast, but truthfully, I was just about to say that to you."

He took my hand. "So you love me?"

"Yes, Edward, I do love you."

He kissed my hand tenderly and looked into my eyes, cupping my face in his hand.

"Do you believe them?" I asked softly.

"No," he said firmly. "I've known Rosalie all my life and this is the last thing she would ever do, especially to Emmett. Something's not right here. Someone's lying, but who?"

"I don't know."

"I promise, Bella, we _will _find out," he said, taking my hands in his. I nodded sadly. "Now, can I have a smile?" he asked, his lips turning upwards into a small smile.

I looked at him and gave a small, genuine smile. I couldn't help it. Even though I knew so many things were going wrong, at that moment, being with Edward, I felt a spark of happiness.

"Come on," he said, pulling me to my feet. "I'll take you back to your apartment. I want to talk to Rosalie."

He pulled me against his chest, kissing me softly, before taking my hand in his and leading me to his car.

**Mike's POV**

"You should have seen their faces!" I laughed as I finished telling Eric, Jessica, and Lauren what had happened at lunch. "It was even better than we had hoped for!"

"Well, what do you think will happen now?" Jessica asked.

"I'm not sure," I replied, thinking. "I suppose their little group is broken up for good. Our plan succeeded!"

We all congratulated each other. We had done what we set out to do.

**Edward's POV**

Bella and I drove back to the apartment complex in comfortable silence. I held her hand as she looked out the window, deep in thought. We got out of the car and walked up to the girls' apartment. Bella opened the door and we saw Rosalie sitting on the couch with Alice's arm wrapped around her and a box of tissue in front of her. Bella walked over and wrapped her arms around her sobbing friend.

"I'm so sorry this happened, Rose," she said. "I love you and I'm here for you."

Rose nodded her head, throwing her arms around Bella. As they pulled away, I stepped forward to stand next to Bella in front of the couch.

"Rose, I believe you," I started, sitting on the table in front of the couch. "I don't know what happened, but Emmett was, is, wrong."

"Thank you, Edward," she said, sniffling. "It means a lot to me."

"What are we going to do?" Alice said, putting her arm around Rosalie again.

"This whole thing is hard for Emmett, too," I said. "I could tell that he was really hurting. I know that may be hard for you to believe, but he was. He would never admit it, but he still cares for you. He just thinks that the person he loves betrayed him."

"I don't know how this happened!" she cried. "I was her by myself all night! I only left for half an hour to pick up some medicine."

We lapsed into silence. I tried to think of some solution, some way to fix this. I knew that Emmett's heart was broken, but he would continue to treat Rosalie with animosity. I formed a plan in my head.

"I have an idea," I said, looking at the girls. "We will tell everyone that you've run away. If Emmett thinks that you are putting yourself in danger and hurting, he will start to feel guilty for what he did. Eventually, the truth will surface and this whole thing will come to an end. Then we can reveal you to Emmett."

They looked at me. "Do you think that will work?" Bella asked.

"Yes," I said confidently. "Trust me. In the meantime, I will do everything I can to find out what really happened."

Rosalie nodded. "Thank you, Edward." she whispered.

"I've got to go," I said, standing up. "I've got to go tell Emmett that you're gone. Don't worry, things will be okay."

Bella stood up and walked me to the door. I bent my head and kissed her softly. "I'll call you." I whispered.

I walked out the door and shut it behind me. I leaned against the wall, shutting my eyes. I could still picture Bella's face, smiling slightly, in my mind. I loved her. It had seemed impossible when the notion first popped into my head, but now it just seemed… natural. In the midst of the chaos around us, I found peace in her…

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**I'm sorry this chapter isn't very long. I will try my hardest to post the next chapter tomorrow. After that, my next post may not be for a couple weeks, as I explained earlier. **

**By the way, I got two anonymous reviews and would just like to say thank you since I couldn't reply via message. Also, thank you to QueenSheba94 since my mail was screwing up and wouldn't let me reply to your review.**

**Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed! I really appreciate it!**


	14. Chapter 13

**Wooo I finished the next chapter tonight! Sorry it's a bit short, but I think you will like it!**

**Enjoy!**

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**Edward's POV**

I had gotten back to the apartment later that afternoon to find that Emmett and Jasper had gone out for the rest of the evening. I wanted to call Bella and ask her over, but I knew that Rosalie needed her more than I did.

Jasper and Emmett didn't get back until after midnight, but I decided against talking to Emmett. He had most likely had a bit too much to drink and wouldn't remember our conversation the next morning.

I lay in bed, unable to sleep. Every time I shut my eyes, thoughts of Bella flooded my mind, causing my heartbeat to quicken and my eyes to flutter open. I finally groaned and rolled over. It was fifteen minutes after midnight, but I knew Bella was probably still up.

I grabbed my cell phone, found Bella's number and pressed send. It rang three times before I heard her sweet voice.

"Hello." she said. I could hear the smile in her voice.

"Hi, there," I said, smiling myself. "Were you busy?"

"No, I was lying in bed, reading."

"What were you reading?"

"Pride and Prejudice."

"Bella, I know you've read that book at least fifty times," I said, grinning into the phone. "Don't you have it memorized yet?"

She laughed and I felt my heart swell. We continued talking for well over an hour, talking about music, literature, and politics. We talked about our time in Forks and laughed at our "Battle of the Wits". It seemed like a distant memory. Finally, we agreed that we were both in need of sleep.

"I love you." I whispered, closing my eyes and picturing her smiling face.

"I love you, too, Edward." she whispered back. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

I hung up and lay back in bed. I finally fell asleep, her last words still ringing in my ears.

I woke up at eleven and took my time dressing and brushing my teeth, thinking about what I would say to Emmett. I had to make sure Emmett knew how much he had hurt Rosalie.

I walked into the kitchen to find Emmett and Jasper sitting at the table. I sat down and looked at Emmett.

"Rosalie is gone."

He dropped the piece of toast he was eating. "What? Where is she?"

"We don't know," I said, running a hand through my hair. "Bella called me this morning and told me that when they got up this morning, she was gone. Her car isn't in the parking lot either."

Emmett was staring blankly at the table. Jasper had stood up and was standing with his back to us, arms crossed.

"Bella said she was a wreck last night," I continued, taking advantage of their silence. "She cried for hours. She didn't sleep at all. Bella said that she's completely confused. She had no idea what you were talking about yesterday."

"How could she not know?!" Emmett burst out. "We saw her, Edward. We saw her and Eric going at it through her window!"

"How do you know for sure what you saw?" I asked, trying to keep the peace. "Rose said she was gone for thirty minutes. Who knows what could have happened during that time."

Emmett stood up quickly, walking away from the table. "I don't see how she can be telling the truth. I know what I saw, okay? Just drop it."

With that, he grabbed his jacket and walked out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him.

"Edward, listen to him," Jasper said quietly. "He's right. We saw. So let's just drop it."

He, too, left the apartment. I sighed and took my cell phone out of my pocket. I called Bella and told her of my conversation with Emmett and Jasper. She told me that they had taken Rosalie's car to a friend's house to make sure the boys didn't see it. After we hung up, I decided to go for a run. It had always helped to clear my mind and I needed a distraction.

I changed into my basketball shorts, Dartmouth t-shirt, and tennis shoes, grabbed my iPod and headed out the door. I jogged along the path, listening to one of my favorite bands, Story of the Year, when I was joined by another runner. I turned and saw one of my friends, Jacob Black, running beside me.

Jacob had gone to school in La Push, a reservation not far from Forks. We had met my sophomore year and become friends. I had forgotten that he went to Dartmouth.

"Hey Edward, long time no see." he said, grinning at me.

"Jacob! I forgot you went to school here."

We both stopped running and sat on a bench, talking about our lives and what had happened since the last time we saw each other. I told him the story of Emmett and Rose and he looked up suddenly.

"I saw her," he said. "I saw Rosalie leaving the parking lot."

"You did?" I asked quickly. "Did you see anything else?"

"Actually, yeah, I did. I'm pretty sure I saw Lauren and Eric watching her leave and then go into the building."

Suddenly, everything made sense.

I stood up quickly. "Jacob, do you have anything planned today?"

"No, not really. Why?"

"I need you help."

We ran back to the apartment and I grabbed my car keys. I had to track down Emmett. Finally, this would come to the end. Things were going to be okay.

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**Okay, once again, it might be a couple of weeks before I update again. I might get a chapter posted on Thursday evening when I get back from A & M, but I don't know if I'll have time. My email isn't receiving review alerts, so I'd just like to say thank you to rockontwilight and bibliocrazed for the reviews! **

**Review, please and thank you!**


	15. Chapter 14

**Okay, let me start off by apologizing profusely for the lack of updates. My first semester was absolutely crazy. Wonderfully crazy. If you ever get the chance to take a creative writing class, I highly recommend it. I have learned so much about my own writing capabilities and expanded my horizons so much. Let me share one tidbit of knowledge I gained from creative writing: when in college, go to class. I finished the semester with a B, but my professor told me it would have been an A had I not missed three classes. Bleh…**

**Anyways, here is the next to last chapter of our tale. **

**I PROMISE to have the final chapter up within the week.**

**Enjoy!**

**=]**

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**Edward's POV**

Jacob and I walked back to the apartment as I explained the entire situation.

"Seriously?" Jacob asked, eyes wide. "Holy shit, that's horrible! Emmett didn't believe her?"

"No. Emmett has trouble keeping his emotions in check. He knows what he thought he saw and it broke his heart."

"So Rosalie really isn't gone?"

"No, she's still here, but now that you can prove her innocence, we can let Emmett see her."

Jacob and I walked into the apartment, finding Emmett and Jasper in the living room. Jasper was channel surfing and Emmett was staring at the ceiling, a blank look on his face.

"Hey guys, you remember Jacob Black, right?" I said as we walked into the room.

"Oh yeah, from La Push, right? Good to see you again." Jasper said, standing up and shaking Jacob's hand. Emmett looked over and gave a little nod.

We took a seat on the couch and I faced Emmett. "Listen, Emmett, there is something we need to talk to you about. Jacob was around your apartment the time you thought you saw Rosalie and Eric together."

Emmett turned to look at us. I gave Jacob a nudge and he began to tell Emmett what he had seen that night. "I'm pretty sure it was Eric and Lauren that you saw. It definitely wasn't Rosalie, though," he concluded.

Both Emmett's and Jasper's eyes were wide, their mouths open in astonishment. Emmett cursed softly and buried his head in his hands. I walked over to him and put my hand on his shoulder. "Em, its okay. It was an honest mistake."

"She's gone, Edward," he said softly. "I didn't believe her and she left." He took a shaky breath and looked up, glaring. "I want to find Mike. This was all his idea, it had to be. He was the one who found us and took us to the apartment."

"I'll find him," Jasper said, speaking for the first time.

"I'll help," Jacob said. "I never really liked him anyways."

Emmett, Jasper, and Jacob began talking about the horrors that awaited Mike as I slipped outside to call Bella.

As I told Bella about what had happened, I could hear the excitement rising in her voice.

"Now we can let him see her!" she gushed. "Let's all get together for dinner at our apartment tomorrow! She'll be there, but don't tell him!"

"Alright, that sounds like a plan. 7:00?"

"Yeah, that's fine. Oh, and invite Jacob."

"Sure thing."

We said goodbye and I walked back inside. They had begun talking about the various household items that could do severe bodily damage. Things were working out, I thought as we discussed using a blender on every one of Mike's appendages.

**Bella's POV**

Rosalie, Alice, and I were sitting on the couch, now all smiling after I had relayed the news that Edward had given me. Alice began talking about the next evening. "So as far as anyone else knows, Rosalie is just another one of our friends." We continued discussing tomorrow's dinner before Alice decided it was time for a movie.

"I think I'm going to go out with Edward tonight," I said apologetically. "He asked me if I wanted to do something tonight."

"Don't worry, Bella, we understand," Rose said, laughing at a pouting Alice. "We'll see you later."

Half an hour later, after I had changed into jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt, Edward picked me up, holding a single gerber daisy in his hand. He kissed me gently and handed me the flower.

After eating at a small café, Edward drove us to a park not far from campus. The path was brightly lit as we began walking. Edward took my hand in his, smiling at me. We didn't talk much, but it was still comfortable in the silence. He guided us to a small bench sitting next to the fountain in the middle of the park. We sat down and he put his arm around me.

"So tell me," he began, grinning at me. "is the battle of wits over?"

I laughed. "Of course not! Unless, of course, you concede that I'm the winner."

"Never," he chuckled, and bent down to kiss my cheek. "Why would I admit defeat when we both know its only a matter of time before you give up?"

I opened my mouth to give a retort but was silenced as he covered my mouth with his. He kissed me deeply, pulling me closer to his body. I sighed as he pulled away.

"Let's say it's a tie for tonight," I said, smiling.

"Fine by me," he said, tucking my hair behind my ear.

After Edward had taken me home, I lay in bed, my mind full of memories from the evening. My thoughts shifted to the following evening. I couldn't wait for our group to be united once again.

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**So here we are at the end. I'm trying to stay in the same writing style that I started with, even though my style has really changed over the past few months.**

**Want an example of my writing from class?**

**I have a short fiction story that I wrote that was my best work from the semester. I think I am going to post it in . maybe. I haven't decided yet. It's not that long, but I'm actually quite proud of it. It should be up. It's called "Beautiful Disaster".**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Please review!**

**=]**


	16. Author's Note, The Sequel

**Hey guys!**

**Sorry for the false alarm, this isn't the final chapter!**

**I published my short story on today.**

**I would love any advice you have.**

**I plan on developing this story into a novel eventually; however it won't really be the same story. I guess this short fiction is just inspiration. **

**Anyways, here is the url.**

**Thanks so much guys!**

**The final chapter of A Lot of Something Over Nothing will be posted within the next few days!**

**.com/s/2614806/1/Beautiful_Disaster**

**You guys are awesome!**

**By the way, if anyone is looking for a beta, let me know. I'd love to beta for anyone and any type of story!**

**=]**


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